Best Finish for Retaining Natural Wood Color?

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JakeAB

JakeAB

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What is the best finish if you want to retain the natural color of the wood? I really like the results of CA/BLO, but they can really change the wood's color.

I used CA/BLO on blue mahoe, and the result was a thoroughly uninteresting brown, which is not the wood's natural color (which is probably why they don't call it brown mahoe). I thought it was the BLO that caused this, so I tried again with just CA. Same result. A third attempt with friction polish (I used Shellawax) gave me the natural color I wanted, but the quality of the finish isn't as good as with CA.

Will a sanding sealer keep the CA/BLO from changing the color of the wood? Or can I just put CA over the friction polish? I'll be experimenting with this, but I thought I'd check with the experts first.
 
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JimB

JimB

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It's been a long time since I did one that way so I really don't remember how long I waited. It was when I was first leaning to do a CA finish and I was experimenting so I would say I didn't wait long at all. I probably applied it and did a good job with the 'friction' part of the application, let it cool down and then did the CA. Although I believe you may want to wait 24 hours for the FP to cure.
 
jttheclockman

jttheclockman

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CA just about sticks to anything but if it were me I would never put any finish over a polish or wax of any kind. I would use acetone to strip it back and start again. When you say natural color there is no finish that will not in some way alter a wood color even though it maybe the slighest. The water based finishes will give the clearest results. Anything and that includes polishes and waxes have an oil base to it and this is what will darken a wood. Sometimes this is a look we strive for. I am surprised that just plain CA did not give you the results you ask. If using a sanding sealer look for one that is designed for waterbased finishes. It will not have a amber shellac in it.
 
R

RussFairfield

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John T. gave you the answer you didn't want to hear. You are chasing an elusive goal that you may never reach.

Wet the surface with a damp cloth (water). What you see is the least color change that will happen when a finish is applied. If that turns the wood into something you don't like, you are best served with leaving it bare, or using a different wood.
 
JakeAB

JakeAB

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You're absolutely right. I do realize that I'll never get an exact "natural" (whatever that is) color, short of not finishing at all.

What I should have asked was, What's the best finish for keeping as close to the natural color as possible? What I want to avoid is the extreme cases (like I experienced with blue mahoe) where the finish ruins the effect rather than enhances it.

I'm finding, as I'm sure you all did a long time ago, that each wood is different, and is affected by each type of finish differently. I guess that just means I have lots and lots of experimenting to do. At this stage of my pen turning career (hobby, obsession, addiction, whatever), I'm finding I enjoy the experimentation and, yes, even the failures (some of them quite spectacular) more than I enjoy staring at a beautiful, perfectly executed and perfectly finished pen. Not that I've made one of those yet...
 
mredburn

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Have you tried the plexiglass finish yet? I have been trying to use it and it seems to have less effect on the wood color than oil based products.
 
JakeAB

JakeAB

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No, I haven't tried a plexiglass finish yet. Sounds interesting--I especially like the UV protection since there's so many kinds of beautiful wood that fade or darken with exposure to UV.

Where can I find some instructions on applying a plexi finish?

Thanks!
 
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